Consumption Economics Education in Children (Case Study of Junior High School Students in Padang City, West Sumatra)

Consumption economics education in children has an important role in shaping rational and responsible consumption mindsets and behaviors, Economic developments and advances in information technology have brought changes to people's consumption patterns, including adolescents. This study uses a qualitative design with a case study approach with a number of key informants and supporting informants as many as 40 people, key informants of junior high school students in Padang City as many as 28 people. The supporting informants are social studies teachers, parents and curriculum representatives with a total of 12 supporting informants. This research produced four themes, namely: (1) students' understanding of the concept of consumption economics (2) consumption behavior of junior high school students in daily life (3) The role of schools in consumption economics education (4) The role of the family in shaping children's consumption behavior, (5) The influence of the local social and cultural environment. The results of this study show that consumer economics education for junior high school students in Padang City has not been fully effective in shaping rational consumption behavior. There is a gap between understanding economic concepts and daily consumption practices. This condition reinforces the view that consumer economics education needs to be directed towards contextual learning and real-life experiences